Avery
by agentgalahad
Summary: When Eggsy goes into a liquor store to buy gin, the last thing he expects is a fight to break out between the 18 year old employee and a drunken customer. After she shows a huge amount of potential, he gives her his card. Soon he realizes that she is an exact replica of himself- both forged from pain and suffering, but motivated to do good. But is she really Kingsman material?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

* * *

"I need a gin," Eggsy called from the backseat of the taxi. "Know any pubs around here?"

"Better," the driver said in a Southern drawl.

Eggsy sighed tiredly. It had been a long two weeks. He was done with America, with their big flashy lights and funny accents. He'd just completed a mission in Boston, Cape Cod. Even if it was quiet and peaceful here, with lots of sunny beaches, all he really wanted was to go home and snuggle in his nice, familiar bed with JB and possibly watch a movie with Roxy, if she was back from her mission in Japan.

"Here we are, sonny." The driver glided to a stop in front of a little store. "You can pick n' choose. I'll wait for you out here."

"Thank you," Eggsy said courteously before opening the door and sliding out of the car. The sound of the door closing echoed through the almost empty parking lot. Above, stars glimmered. He admitted to himself that they _were _quite beautiful- light pollution made it difficult to see the stars in London.

He stepped into the store- it was similar to a convenience store, but the shelves were stocked with beer, wine, vodka… Eggsy inhaled the scent, sighing. He decided he'd rather have a good martini, and picked up a Vermouth and gin out for himself.

A sudden, awful stench hit his nostrils. He glanced up as a man entered the store. He was as thick as a tree trunk, with beefy arms and a big moustache. He had a cigarette clamped between his lips, despite the no-smoking sign taped to the door. The young girl working at the counter noticed this and voiced her disapproval.

"Excuse me sir, but smoking isn't allowed." Eggsy kept his head down, pretending to browse through a shelf of American beers.

"Really, darlin'." The man sauntered up to her. "I'm just takin' a little puff, that's all. A pretty little thing like you shouldn't mind, should she?" he asked threateningly. Eggsy gritted his teeth.

"Sir, I will ask one more time, and then I will ask you to leave," she responded. "Please do not smoke in the store." Eggsy couldn't help but admire her courage. She couldn't have been more than man leaned in, breathing a cloud of smoke in her face. She didn't budge, but continued to glare at him.

"I'm gonna ask _you _a question, baby. Either you let me smoke, take a couple beers for the road, or maybe instead I'll take you and your innocence with me." Eggsy straightened, preparing to step in. He gripped the handle of his handgun, which was pressing against his back, tucked in his waistband. He always had it with him, just in case. The man stepped behind the counter, a sadistic grin on his face. "Such a pretty little thing, huh? I'll make it good."

"I dare you to try," the girl hissed. The man made a grab for her, but she easily dodged and wrenched his arm in a very uncomfortable position, causing him to swivel around. She pinned his arm behind his back. He swore loudly, using his enormous weight to try and overpower her. She kicked him from behind, which sent him rocketing backwards, toppling over a display case. Eggsy watched in astonishment, rooted to the spot. The case shattered loudly, wine exploding everywhere. The cigar in his mouth flew next to Eggsy's feet. Despite this, the man just swore again, and launched himself at her. She swiftly bolted out of the way, and his fist met the counter with a sickening crack. Socking him in the nose, she darted away and he howled in pain before trying to grab her again. She landed another solid kick on his crotch, causing him to yell loudly. She shoved him over, and he fell to the floor- but at the last second, he seized her ankle, bringing her down with him.

Eggsy lunged himself at the two, wrestling the girl out of the man's grasp. The man let out a colorful string of curses before pushing himself off the ground, attention focused on Eggsy. _Good, _Eggsy thought. The man got to his feet, bunching his fists together and launching himself at Eggsy.

The fight was over almost before it began. Eggsy electrocuted him with his signet ring, and the man fell to the ground with a loud thump.

"Didn't deserve the energy or the time," Eggsy muttered. He turned to the girl, who quickly backed away. His expression became concerned. "Sorry about that. He was treating you like shit. But you beat the crap out of him anyways." He winked, and she relaxed slightly. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah." She rubbed her forearms. "Thanks."

"Hey, no prob. Mostly your work, though," Eggsy replied, gesturing towards the still-twitching body. He tilted his head, watching her curiously. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Um…" She looked suddenly uncomfortable. "I'd rather not say."

"That's cool," Eggsy replied, shrugging nonchalantly, pretending not to care. He glanced back at the body. "What are we gonna do with him?"

"I usually dump them a few blocks down, somewhere in the park or something."

"Oh," Eggsy managed. "Wait, usually? Has this happened before?" She wouldn't meet his gaze. When she did, he was shocked to find how blue they were. It was like looking into an endless, cloudless sky.

"Well…" She raised an eyebrow. "You would expect that a girl like me might get harassed by drunks and things like that pretty often. They think that they can steal crates of alcohol just because they think I can't stop them." She gives a bitter laugh. "They were mistaken."

"I'd pay loads to see their faces when you beat the shit out of them," Eggsy said, trying to lighten the mood. She smiled at that, and tugged his arm.

"C'mon then, I don't really want him to wake up before we get him out of the store."

"Oh, no. I think he deserves to be bashed again for what he did to you."

"That's not what I meant," she replied with a snort. "He might thrash about and break more wine bottles- which, by the way, I'm going to have to pay for myself." Her eyes got dark. "If he wakes up, I'm going to bash him again myself."

"I'm Harry, by the way," Eggsy said, sticking out a hand.

"Avery." She smiled. "Thanks for helping me out."

"Anything for the ladies," he replied with a wink. She blushed, before shaking her head and bending down to where the man lay, still unconscious. She slid her arms underneath his ankles. Glancing up at Eggsy, she motioned towards his upper body. Eggsy rushed to pick up the man, and together, they carried him out of the store. Eggsy waved at the taxi driver, whose eyes were widened in shock. The driver's face paled. "I don't think he's going to wait around for me," Eggsy noted. He scrunched up his nose, attention returning to the man he was carrying. "Jeez, he smells awful."

"Tell me about it." She dropped him, pulling a set of keys out of her pocket and locking the store door behind them. "I've had worse though," she admitted.

"How many times has this happened?" Eggsy asked softly.

"Too many," she responded, pressing her lips together. Eggsy felt a coil of rage rear in the pit of his stomach. How dare anyone do such a thing?

"Avery, why do you work there all by yourself?"

"Because my stepfather is a jerk and he thinks an eighteen year old girl working the nightshift at a liquor store is funny," she hissed.

"Damn," Eggsy breathed.

"Luckily, my older sister taught me how to fight years ago, when he first came into our life." Her expression turned pained.

"Why isn't your older siste-"

"Because one of his pals mugged her, then raped her, and left her body in a forest." Eggsy stopped walking, the force of her words hitting him like a train. He stared at her, anger etched into his handsome features. She met his angry gaze with a cold, detached look.

"That's despicable," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

"So am I. The guy's in jail for life now, but I know my stepdad was the one who encouraged him to do it in the first place."

"How do you know?"

"The bastard fucking told me the day after it happened." Eggsy swore.

"You didn't tell the police?"

"What was I supposed to say? My step dad helped to plan my sister's death? There wasn't any evidence."

"Still." Avery stopped walking.

"Here is fine." Eggsy let go of the man, and enjoyed hearing the sound of his body hitting the ground.

When they arrived back at the store, the taxi, as Eggsy had guessed, had disappeared. Avery invited him inside, handing him her cellphone so he could call another taxi. She flipped the OPEN sign over, closing the store for the night. While they waited for the cab to arrive, Avery made him a martini. Eggsy took a grateful sip, and nearly sighed in pleasure. It was the best martini he'd ever had.

Thirty minutes and four martinis later, the cab arrived. Eggsy wasn't sure why it had taken so long, but he was surprisingly pleased at having the extra time to chat with Avery. Just as Avery unlocked the door, Eggsy made a decision. He reached into his suit jacket pocket, pulling out a card.

"Listen, Avery. If you ever feel like you need help, or just want to get out of this shithole… no offense, but seriously, just call the number and we'll have a plane pick you up." She looked at him in astonishment. "Just tell the operator, Oxfords not Brogues, and I'll know it's you."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out if you take up my offer sometime." She took the card, reading it over. Peering up at him, she thought about his offer.

"When can I call?" she asked doubtfully.

"Anytime," he responded quietly. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out her cellphone. Eggsy watched in amusement as she dialed the number.

"I want to get out of this shithole. Oxfords not Brogues," she whispered, more to Eggsy than the operator. Eggsy grinned.

* * *

**-agent galahad**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

* * *

As the taxi drove Avery and Eggsy to Avery's house, Eggsy pondered his decision. Had he been too brash about recruiting her? Was she really Kingsman material? He shook the thoughts out of the way, refusing to trouble over them- just yet.

"I'll just sneak through the bedroom window, grab my stuff, and be down here in a few minutes," Avery said as the taxi pulled up in the driveway. He wasn't going to say anything about sneaking in through the window- it was something he'd done himself many times.

"Are you sure? You might want to think about this- surely there's something or someone you're leaving behind," Eggsy said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off.

"There's absolutely nothing left for me here."

"Not even your mum?" Eggsy couldn't help but ask, thinking about his own mother. He still regretted leaving her alone with Dean for the short amount of time he had been training.

"My mum met the same fate as my sister, two years before," Avery whispered before closing the car door. He watched her clamber up the side of the house, easily finding footholds. It was well-practiced. Eggsy could only guess how many times she'd ascended the same path.

"_My mum met the same fate as my sister, two years before."_

Eggsy let her words sink in. He swore under his breath, marveling at how strong Avery had remained nonetheless. He tried to imagine himself in her shoes- Daisy, his little sister, and his mum, both raped and left for dead. He didn't even realize his hands and fingernails were clenched so tightly around each other until blood trickled out. Eggsy found himself vowing to do _something, anything, _to help her out.

A sudden, blood-curdling scream ripped through the night. Eggsy shot up from where he was sitting, and the taxi driver glanced anxiously at him from behind the glass separating them.

"I don't know what the hell is happening, but you are going to stay right where you are, okay?" Eggsy hissed. The man nodded briefly, before crouching beneath the dashboard in an attempt to hide the oncoming disaster. Eggsy leapt out of the car, and sprinted towards the house. The front door was locked, and he had no choice but to climb up to the second story floor window that Avery had disappeared into. He peered into the open window, snarling at what he saw.

"You fucking little bitch! You tell me fucking right now who was in that fucking store with you!" a man yelled. Avery's stepfather. He struck her across the face, and angry red marks had already surfaced on her olive skin. "Do you know who that was? That man's my buddy," he hissed. Eggsy resisted the urge to shudder. What kind of company did this guy keep? The man had her pressed against the wall, the neck of her blouse locked in his fist, pinning her in place. Eggsy felt a sudden sense of déja vu. But there was no Harry to stop this vile man- only Eggsy. Only Eggsy could stop this.

"I suggest you put her down," Eggsy interjected, cold calmness coating his voice. The man spun around, exposing his ruddy face.

"Who the fuck are you? Get the fuck out of this fucking house, or I'm going to fuck you up so badly you'll wish you were never born!" he screamed. Eggsy gritted his teeth. He couldn't pull off a triple M Harry move in this scenario (Manners Maketh Man)- most importantly because he didn't have his umbrella. So instead, he pulled an Eggsy. Grabbing a nearby flower vase, he lobbed it at the guy's forehead. Not as flamboyant, perhaps, but still effective. The man fell to the ground in a heap, knocked out cold.

Eggsy rushed to where Avery stood, panting. He took her face in his hands, and only for a moment beholding the tears pooling in her eyes, before wrapping her in a tight embrace. They stood silently like that for what could've been hours, as Avery sobbed into his shoulder, finally releasing all the pent-up anger and sorrow she had contained for years and years. It didn't matter that she'd only known him for a few hours. It was because she took one look in his dark eyes and known- he _understood._

When at last her sobs ceased, she mustered a wobbly smile. Eggsy swept a stray hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. She savored the gesture. For so many years she had been so... alone, so afraid. But she knew she had nothing to fear now. _I will not be afraid, _she promised herself. It would be her new mantra. _I will not be afraid, _she repeated.

"Alright?" Eggsy asked gently.

"Yeah," she replied with a hoarse chuckle. "I'm sorry I made a mess of your suit." Eggsy smiled.

"Not a problem. A gentleman should always be ready to provide a shoulder to lean on," he murmured. He gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Come on, then. Let's get you out of this place. Got all your stuff?" he asked. Avery glanced around her bedroom. She grabbed a backpack, a sweater, picked up a small framed photo of the shelf, and three novels, which she carefully picked. She held up a finger and rushed out of the room. A moment later she returned with a heavy-duty safe.

"I can buy stuff, yeah?" she asked, a mischievous glimmer in her eye. Eggsy grinned.

"Revenge?" he asked. She nodded. "Fuck yeah." She took one last look around her room.

"That's all."

"You sure?"

"Everything could burn for all I care," she whispered, stroking the picture frame she held clenched in her hand.

"Wouldn't include this fellow, would it?" Eggsy asked, poking her stepfather's face with the toe of his Oxfords.

"He'd be the first to burn," she replied, anger radiating off her. Eggsy put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're good now, yeah? We can get out of this, together, you and me." She nodded. They walked out of the house and into the waiting taxi. Avery kept her gaze on the house as the taxi drove away into the night. She sighed and closed her eyes. A new chapter of her life was about to begin.

* * *

**-agent galahad**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

* * *

It occurred to Avery at some point in time that getting into a taxi with a stranger- albeit a very attractive, kind and brave stranger- might've been a stupid idea. But it was too late now. And besides… it's not like her life could get any worse, could it?

Avery didn't realize she had dozed off until Eggsy gently shook her awake. They were parked on some airplane runway. A sleek jet idled nearby, ready for take-off. Avery rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Good morning, sleepy head. Nearly one in the morning." Avery's eyes widened. When they had left her house, the taxi dashboard had read quarter to ten in the evening. Had she been asleep for that long?

"How long was I asleep for?" she questioned, voicing her thoughts.

"Three or so hours." Eggsy chuckled. "Hope you were comfortable," he added, rolling his left shoulder and wincing slightly.

"Oh my gosh, was I sleeping on your shoulder for a whole three hours?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it." Eggsy winked. "Like I said, a gentleman should always be ready to provide a shoulder to lean on… figuratively or literally." Avery groaned.

"Why didn't you wake me up? Jeez, I feel awful now," she muttered. Eggsy patted her head playfully.

"I told you already. Don't worry about it. And besides…" he trailed off, smiling. "It was a nice experience, if you must know." Avery blushed again, waving him off. She looked up at the sky, the stars twinkling at her. A cool breeze brushed her face, and she sighed happily. An enormous weight had lifted off her shoulders in just a few hours. She could leave everything behind, start fresh.

"Where are we going?" she asked finally.

"London," came Eggsy's reply. She gasped.

"Are you serious?"

"Very." He tilted his head, gazing at her curiously. "Why?"

"I've always wanted to go there… since forever," she murmured dreamily, clasping her hands to her chest. She looked him in the eye. "People say Paris is the most romantic place on earth, but I think London is."

"Never pegged you as a hopeless romantic," Eggsy said, smiling.

"Hopeful romantic," she corrected. "There's a difference." They stood like that for a few more moments, enjoying the silence that the night provided.

"Well," Eggsy said, clapping his hands together. "We better get in the plane now, yeah?"

"Yeah." Avery followed Eggsy up the stairs. "Wait, Harry-"

It took Eggsy a moment to remember that she thought his name was Harry.

He turned around to face her. Her eyes shone, and she had a brilliant smile on that could light up a city.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Thank _you_," he replied. She gave him a confused look, but he ignored it for now. "And… Avery," he added.

"Yeah?"

"Call me Eggsy," he said before entering the plane.

"Eggsy?" she exclaimed as he sat down, gesturing for her to sit in the seat across from him. "Why Eggsy?"

"I'll tell you one day, maybe, if you're nice to me," he joked, winking.

"Wha…" Avery trailed off, completely baffled. She was at lost for what to say. Finally she decided to leave it, and instead protested."Wait, what do you mean, _if _I'm nice to you? How am I not nice to you?"

The intercom suddenly crackled, and the pilot's voice announced that they were taking off. Avery heard a door slide open, and the pattering of paws. There was a sharp yap and a small pug barreled out of the cockpit, leaping onto Eggsy's lap and covering him with kisses.

"Missed you too, JB," Eggsy laughed, trying in vain to wipe his face while JB continued to slobber all over him.

"JB… as in Justin Bieber?" Avery asked. Eggsy gave her a look like, _are you serious? _and shook his head.

"As in Jack Bauer," he replied. JB was done greeting his master. He hopped off Eggsy's lap and marched to Avery, nudging her hand. She held it out to him, wishing she had a treat to give the pup. JB grunted a bit and let Avery give him a belly rub as compensation.

The plane began moving, gliding along the runway and picking up speed. Avery picked JB up and handed him to Eggsy, pressing her face against the window instead. Her heartbeat sped up, and excitement bubbled in her stomach.

"Never been on a plane?" Eggsy asked.

"Once… when I was seven. I…" she trailed off. She cleared her throat. "I went to Disney with my mum and my sister," she added softly.

"Ah," Eggsy said, unsure of how to respond.

"We had too much ice cream," Avery continued, trying to lighten the mood. "I got so fat." Eggsy laughed.

"You can't get fat by eating ice cream," Eggsy insisted.

"You _can_ get sick by eating ice cream and too many cinnamon churros," she countered.

The two continued to banter as the plane took off and gained altitude, heading east for London.

* * *

Meanwhile, a few hours later at Avery's house, her stepfather stirred on the floor of the bedroom, wiping away a streak of blood from his forehead. A few minutes later, he managed to stumble to his office, where he turned the computer monitor on. He opened the tracking application he had specially designed for his stepdaughter, and smiled as he watched the red dot on his screen slowly move across the Atlantic Ocean. The bottom of the screen read the details of what plane she was on and where her destination was. He took his cellphone out of his pocket, and dialed a number.

"She's headed for London," he said.

"Excellent. We'll intercept her at the airport. What about the boy?"

"Kill him."

"Yes sir."

He hung up, propping his legs on the table and crossing his hands beneath his head. He leaned back in his chair, a sickening grin lighting his face. He fingered a large patch of skin beneath his left ear, which was still tender and very red. An entire chunk of bone was missing.

"Kill them all," he hissed.

* * *

**-agent galahad**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

* * *

"London! London!" Avery chanted. She peered out of the tiny window, face smeared against it. She could only see hazy gray clouds for now, but Eggsy assured her that she'd get a good view once they descended low enough.

Avery was draped in a blanket (after complaining that she was cold) with JB in her lap. JB had quickly learned that Avery gave excellent belly rubs, and much to Eggsy's indignation, spent almost the entire flight curled up in her lap. _So much for loyal friend._

They had spent the majority of the flight chatting. Avery asked Eggsy to talk about himself, and so he did. Eggsy told her about his job as a tailor, about his mum and his little sister, who had just ridden her two-wheel bicycle for the first time (without crashing) the previous week. He talked about his favourite foods, his favourite pastimes, and his favourite places in London- which he promised to take her to. He didn't mention Kingsman just yet. That would come soon enough.

When they began to descend, Eggsy felt like Avery was going to fall out of the plane, from the way she was pressing herself against the window. She had to wipe the condensation from her breath away every so often. The coldness of the glass was making her cheeks and nose turn pink, but she didn't seem to care. Eggsy watched her in amusement, failing to hide a smile.

Avery squealed suddenly. Eggsy felt the uncomfortable pressure of his ears popping, and leaned forward to look out his own window.

London. He sighed happily. Home.

"It's so greeeeeen," Avery moaned joyously. "So many cars," she added. "I mean, just in that parking lot. Look! Woaaaaah…" Eggsy snorted.

"You sound ridiculous," he couldn't help but mention. She ignored his comment, instead choosing to give him a gleeful expression. He shook his head, the corner of his lips tilting up. "Welcome to London, Avery."

* * *

Eggsy slung Avery's bag over his shoulder for her, and together they walked out of the jet and into the warm London afternoon, JB following their heels. Avery practically pranced into the airport. Eggsy didn't bother lecturing her.

As they stepped through the automatic doors, a welcome gust of air conditioning ruffled Eggsy's hair. The organized hustle and bustle of London Heathrow Airport was a comforting sight.

On the other hand, the strange group of men in black trenchcoats, eyeing the pair like vultures through dark sunglasses, was not. At first, Eggsy took no notice of them- after all, he was certainly one to know not the judge others by their looks. However, when Eggsy and Avery encountered them several times throughout the airport, constantly watching them, Eggsy grew increasingly concerned.

"Avery, I'm just going to buy a cookie," he said, gently leading her towards a small cafe in the terminal. He didn't want to mention the strange men stalking them through the airport. He didn't want her to panic. Although Eggsy doubted it, they still might've been innocent passersby, despite their… questionable appearances.

"Oh, alright," she replied, following him.

After Eggsy bought his cookie, he suggested they sit down for a while at one of the tables.

"Sure," she said, a slight hesitation in her voice. Eggsy decided to inform her of the trenchcoats.

"Don't look now," he began, whispering. "But I think somebody's following us, and I don't know who or why," he said. She bit her lip, eyes widening slightly. He felt their penetrating stares on his back. "Now laugh as if I've said something hilarious."

Avery gave him a good-natured shove, grinning wildly and giggling.

Eggsy played along, smiling brilliantly.

"Anyways, I don't know what they want, but my guess is either you or me, or maybe even both." He leaned in closer, so close, in fact, that his lips brushed Avery's ear. She shivered slightly, blushing. "But I'm going to call for backup, just in case. The only reason I think the trenchcoats haven't approached us yet is due to the airport security and all the other people in the terminal," he explained, waving vaguely at the crowds beside them. "But the second we step out of this airport, they might make their move."

"That's bad," she murmured. Eggsy nodded.

"Now kiss me on the cheek and smile a lot," he whispered.

She complied, and smiled for real when Eggsy winked.

Eggsy fiddled with the watch on his wrist for a moment. Seconds later, he ran his hand through his hair, but kept it near his mouth.

"Galahad to HQ, code beta," he muttered. "Backup requested." He let his hand fall back to the table casually, taking a piece of cookie and putting it into his mouth.

"Can I have some cookie?" Avery asked suddenly, her voice slightly higher than before. Eggsy glanced up at her, and saw something very concerning in the reflection of the salt shaker.

It was a trenchcoat, heading towards them.

"Stay where you are, pretend not to notice him," Eggsy hissed through his teeth, ripping off a bit of cookie and handing it to Avery. She immediately busied herself with playing a game on her cellphone. Eggsy pretended to drop his napkin on the ground just as the trenchcoat swept past them, pausing briefly- in which Avery felt her breath hitch- before continuing on.

"Arthur to Galahad, backup on its way. Been monitoring your status, Galahad. No need for debriefing," Harry said into his ear. Eggsy tipped his head briefly. The mic in his glasses had malfunctioned a few days prior- which was why he had to use the emergency one in his wristwatch. Luckily, his earpiece was still completely functional.

"Sending in agents Lancelot, Percival, and Arthur," Harry added.

The first thought that zipped through Eggsy's mind was _why the fuck are _you _coming? You got shot in the face on your last field mission. _But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. The cookie was long-gone, and only crumbs remained. They had to keep moving.

"Hey Ruby," Eggsy stated. Avery glanced up, without the slightest trace of confusion on her face. Eggsy was impressed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the trenchcoat's head snap up, his expression turning exceedingly puzzled.

"What is it, Liam?" she asked in a posh British accent. Eggsy fought to contain his amusement. It was surprisingly authentic. He'd have to remember to ask where she learned it from later.

"I'm done my cookie. Let's go." They got up, and Eggsy noticed with unease that the trenchcoats followed their every movement- though with the slightest hesitation now- but when the two headed towards the east of the terminal, the trenchcoats trailed them, lurking just out of sight.

But Kingsman had taught Eggsy well, and he could see them easily.

"Agents have arrived. Waiting at Terminal Five, drop off zone," Harry stated quietly.

By now their slow, strolling pace had quickened to a brisk stride. Eggsy noted with a sense of dread that the trenchcoats pursued the same pace.

Eggsy guided Avery to Terminal Five's exit, and with a sudden, overwhelming sense of relief he saw two Kingsman taxis waiting. He was more used to upfront, flashy, violent encounters with the enemy- but this slow, tension-building, climactic thing was seriously stressing him out.

But he didn't really have to worry about that.

The second they stepped out of the airport, twenty trenchcoats rushed towards them.

Eggsy didn't bother with subtlety. He grabbed Avery's arm and shoved her roughly into one of the taxis. Harry sat in the driver's seat.

"Fucking floor it, bruv!" he yelled. Shots rang out and Avery screamed. Bullets peppered the glass, but the bullet-proof windows deflected them easily enough.

"Isn't that the understatement of the century," Harry responded dryly, peeling out onto the street.

"They're following us!" Avery cried.

"Well, of course the others are following us, I asked fo-"

"No!" she exclaimed, cutting Eggsy off. "The trenchcoats!"

And then Eggsy glanced back. Behind Roxy and Percival's car, a line of ten jet black sedans were hot

on their tail.

"Floor it, Harry!" Roxy shouted in his ear through the joined com.

"My thoughts exactly," Harry muttered, slamming his foot down on the pedal.

* * *

**-agent galahad**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: **_AN: Just to clarify, Tony is Avery's stepdad. _

* * *

"What do you fucking mean, they got away?" Tony roared into the phone.

"Backup arrived, sir," the person on the other end of the line replied cooly.

"Fucking hell!" he screamed, whipping the phone at the wall. It smashed through the dry plaster, leaving a hole in the wall. He swore again. Now he needed to get a new phone _and _he needed to get the wall redone.

He sat heavily into his office chair, folding his hands over his stomach. He fingered the large, black obsidian ring on his right hand.

The ring had been a gift from the boss of the Gambino family in New York- one of the most famous Mafia units in America. Domenico was the current successor of the Gambino family, and one of the bosses. He had met Domenico over a decade ago during a aircraft hijacking mission- long time friends- although what they had wasn't really quite _friendship_. More like a mutual you-owe-me-I-O-U type of relationship.

Tony had called in several favors to get Domenico to deploy a few of his precious units to retrieve Avery. Domenico had, in turn, called in several… associates from Sicily, in Italy, to fly over to London and intercept his stepdaughter and have her brought back to America. It was simple.

And now everything had gone to shit.

Domenico hardly cared, and had forwarded the message that if his men weren't able to catch Avery by the end of the day, too bad for him. Which, of course, led to a lot of frustration and phone smashing.

Tony growled and powered up his monitor again. It showed a map of the world. He zoomed it into London, and sure enough, the blinking red dot was still there, heading up the M4 highway, supposedly to Central London.

He dialed Nico's number using an application on his computer. Nico had been the communication between Tony and the Mafia for quite some time. He picked up on the second ring.

"Finished your temper tantrum?" he asked coolly. "I suppose your phone is somewhere in the wall now, smashed to a million pieces."

"Shut your mouth," Tony replied. "I'm sending the tracker's coordinates to you. And I want her back in one piece, you hear me?"

"I thought you didn't care," Nico said, amused.

"I want to rip her apart myself."

"Fair enough," Nico responded simply. "Coordinates have been sent. I'll call you if we get her."

"What do you mean, _if?_ You aren't trying fucking hard enough!" he exploded.

"You better be careful of what you say, Tony," Nico answered, voice suddenly as cold and hard as ice. "Unless you want us to come hunt you down," he threatened. Tony clenched his fists. "Just a reminder. I'm playing nice only because the boss is paying me. You wouldn't want to get on my bad side, would you, Tony?" Nico asked, voice low.

Tony didn't reply.

"I said, would you?" Nico asked again.

"No," Tony replied quietly.

"I'm glad you feel that way, my friend," Nico said cheerfully. "This is nasty business, you know. Anyways, I've got to run. Ciao, my friend." The dialer went dead.

Tony slumped in his seat. It _was _nasty business.

* * *

"I think we lost them," Avery sighed, relaxing in his seat.

"Yeah, thanks to this old man's crazy driving," Eggsy said, jerking his chin up at the driver's seat, where Harry sat smugly, hands on the wheel.

"Percival and Lancelot will meet us at HQ. In the meanwhile, I suggest you get Avery to a safe house of some sort," Harry said, glancing at Avery through the rear view mirror.

"Thank you," Avery managed.

The three sat in silence for a solid ten minutes, when suddenly, Avery shot up in her seat. Eggsy have her a concerned look. She was staring out the window, face pale. Eggsy followed her line of sight and nearly choked. Three familiar sedans flanked them on either side, windows tinted. Eggsy could make out four figures inside each vehicle with his infrared setting.

"Harry, they're back," he exclaimed. Harry swore.

"How did they find us?" he asked, jerking the steering wheel to the left, cutting through the traffic. There were angry horn blares. "There's no way. Haven't seen them for twenty minutes."

Avery paled again.

"Do you think he found a way to track us?" she asked. Realization dawned on the two men's faces.

"Your stepfather must've placed a tracker on you sometime," Harry said, expression dark. "Merlin," Harry began. "We need the x-scan device. We can't come to HQ ourselves, especially if Avery has a tracker implanted on her- it would give away our location. Have Lancelot and Percival come to fetch it and meet us at..."

"Selfridges," Eggsy interjected, naming the humongous department store on Oxford Street.

"Are you insane, Galahad?" Harry asked. "We want to _reduce_ the chance of any fatalities to anyone, especially civilians."

"Yeah, but think about it- when we were in the airport, the trenchcoats didn't attack us. Only when we were out of there- only when there were less people did they _actually_ attack." Eggsy's brow furrowed in thought. "My guess is that whoever's after Avery just needs _Avery, _and probably hasn't been paid enough to cause a massacre. And, if the trenchcoats found us just by luck, there's no way they'll find us in there, with all the crowds."

Harry thought for a moment, mulling it over.

"A good point. Alright then, Oxford Street it is," Harry replied. Merlin voiced an affirmative.

* * *

They careened down Central London, seatbelts straining against their chests every time Harry made a turn. A few minutes later, they arrived, and Harry slammed the brakes, skidding and drifting perfectly into a parking space. Flawless parallel parking at its finest.

"A gentleman knows how to drive," he added smugly at Eggsy's and Avery's impressed expressions. "Right then, out of the car, now," he continued, grabbing his umbrella and hooking it over his left arm. Just as they made it down the block, a line of sedans appeared. The three of them ducked into a store. The sedan at the front of the line halted upon seeing the parked car. The other sedans slid to a stop, evoking loud beeps and a lot of shouting from the cars behind. A man got out of the first sedan, surveying the car. A moment later, he stepped back into his sedan and drove away. The others followed, and traffic resumed.

"They need to park somewhere," Eggsy said with a grin. "Thank god for London parking." He turns to Avery, who gave him a confused look. "Basically nonexistent," he explained. "We got lucky."

"Extremely so," Harry added.

As soon as the sedans disappeared, the three walked out of the store and hurried into Selfridges. Avery had to marvel. Cape Cod was quiet and small, and there were only a few large department stores. Selfridges was _enormous _and there were people _everywhere _and everyone had _British accents _and it was so cool and-

"Oh shit, there're two trenchcoats at ten o'clock," she hissed, ducking her head. Eggsy swore softly. They quickened their pace, taking a few turns to try and throw them off.

"Lancelot and Merlin here, we've arrived," Merlin's voice said over the com.

"Rendez-vous in front of…" Harry glanced around. "Starbucks, fourth floor."

"Got it."

"Eggsy," Avery whispered, panic entering her voice. "They're surrounding us."

Harry and Eggsy surveyed the area, and she was right. Each exit and corridor of the shopping centre was blocked or being watched by a trenchcoat. They noted with concern that three out of the twelve trenchcoats had guns hidden in their jackets- the indents were barely visible, but the Kingsman specs picked them up.

"You guys should go," Avery whispered, halting in her tracks. The two men gave her bewildered looks. "I don't want anyone to get hurt. Please. I'll just go back to living with my stepdad. I'll be fine, promise," she pleaded.

"Are you fucking insane?" Eggsy asked, eyes soft. "We aren't going anywhere." He blinked. "Well, I mean, we should probably keep moving, but we aren't going anywhere without you."

"I…" Avery trailed off. "Thank you. I really mean it. For everything. But I really can't ask you to put yourselves at risk just for my sake."

"Avery," Harry cut in. "I hate to interrupt, but that's quite literally our job." He gave her a small smile.

"Wha…" She blinked several times, thinking over his words. Her eyes lit up with realization. "Oh my god. Are you like, M15 agents or something? Like, James Bond? That is so sick," she rambled.

"No." Eggsy tugged Avery's arm. "We aren't James Bond. But that's the idea." The trenchcoats had abandoned their posts and had begun approaching the trio, shoving patrons out of the way occasionally, who protested loudly before seeing their demeanor. "Avery," Eggsy said softly. "When I say now, you run like the fucking wind, you hear me? We'll deal with this."

"Are you joking? I'm not leaving you. I can fight," she insisted. Eggsy was about to protest when Harry interjected.

"Although I wish it were not so, she's right Eggsy. We're horribly outnumbered."

"But you took out Dean's goons all by yourself!"

"Yes. I did. But they were inexperienced. I assure you, that the members of the Mafia are not." Eggsy let out a slight gasp of recognition. "The mark on the breast pocket is the insignia of the Gambino family."

"Gambino," Avery said. "That sounds vaguely familiar."

"It appears your stepfather decided to mix with the Mafia," Harry replied. She gaped at him.

"I always knew Tony did shady things… but the Mafia? Damn."

"Guys, here they come," Eggsy exclaimed. All twelve of the trenchcoats suddenly surged towards them at the same time, pushing people out of the way.

Eggsy pulled out his gun and waved it at the men, who had reached them in a V-shaped formation. Any remaining patrons screamed and fled the scene. Authorities would arrive shortly. They didn't have much time.

"Listen, fellas. We don't want any trouble. What can we do for you?" he asked.

"Get out of the way and give us the girl," the man at the front said.

"No such chance," Eggsy replied, stepping in front of Avery protectively.

"Suit yourself," the man shrugged, pointing two fingers in the air. A signal. They lunged forwards. Eggsy aimed his gun and shot four times in succession, taking two men down completely. Harry pulled out his own gun and shot a man in the chest.

Avery watched in amazement as the two men fought, side by side, so in sync that it seemed like a practiced dance. They took down three trenchcoats in a matter of seconds.

But then things turned sour. Avery watched in horror as one trenchcoat pulled out his own gun, pointed it at Eggsy, and fired. Avery lunged forward, towards Eggsy, yelling at him to get out of the way, to duck, to do anything… but it was too late. The bullet skimmed the side of his wrist, right where the suit jacket ended. Eggsy yelped in surprise, dropping his gun. He held his wrist, face screwed up in pain.

Avery dove towards him, shoving him over as another bullet was fired and shattered the glass storefront directly behind him.

"Fuck, I can't move my wrist. He hit the bone," Eggsy hissed between clenched teeth. Harry was preoccupied with fighting, until Eggsy spoke. Hair astray, he glanced at where Eggsy sat, kneeling on the ground, holding his wrist. Harry's face contorted into an enraged expression.

"Stay here," Avery commanded, grabbing his gun off the ground and bolting to help Harry.

But she didn't really have to do anything. Harry pulled out his umbrella, which she would later call the Rainmaker of Utter Doom and Destruction. Together, she and Harry fought furiously, back to back, taking down each trenchcoat until none remained.

She was breathing heavily, slightly bloody where one man had managed to nick her above the eyebrow. Her fists ached, and her eyes watered. But she was fine enough.

"Damn," Eggsy breathed. "You fight like a fucking boss, Ave."

* * *

_AN: The information based on the Mafia was taken from Wikipedia. I have next to no knowledge of the Mafia, truthfully. Domenico is non-fictional, and is currently the boss of the Gambino family. Nico is a fictional character._

**-agent galahad**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

* * *

Eggsy watched in fascination at Avery's fighting style- it was like half karate, and half pure aggression and agility. She fought back to back with Harry, downing opponents smoothly, with almost no effort. Her features were drawn together in focus. The two worked together like a well-oiled machine, sending enemies to the other and finishing them. And when Harry pulled out his umbrella, there was no question about who would win.

At last, not one trenchcoat remained standing, their bodies flung randomly around the area. Eggsy wasn't sure how many were dead, but it couldn't have been many. Avery didn't have any real weapons. She was panting, face flushed. Harry simply dusted himself off, folding his umbrella neatly underneath his arm.

The two simultaneously turned to face Eggsy. Avery's forehead had a bloody slash across it, and she would have many bruises tomorrow, but she was otherwise fine.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed, rushing over to him. "Are you okay?" Harry followed just as quickly, kneeling beside Eggsy and gently lifting Eggsy's wrist close to his face to inspect it. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Avery would've giggled at how pink his face turned.

"Hurts like a bitch, and it'll take a while to heal, but yeah, I'm a'right."

"Arthur! Galahad!" a voice called. Avery looked up to see a man and a girl in three-inch black stilettos sprinting towards them, the man with a briefcase in hand. Avery wondered how she managed to do run in shoes like those without twisting her ankles.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" the girl suddenly exclaimed upon seeing Eggsy's wrist, echoing Avery's earlier words exactly. The girl's eyes were a warm amber colour, her blonde hair tied back in a sleek ponytail. Her eyes shone with intelligence. Avery liked her immediately.

"Shot in the wrist. The bugger aimed for it specifically. Must've known the suits were bulletproof," he replied with a wince.

"Merlin, locate and get that tracker off Avery right now. We can't go anywhere otherwise," Harry said, voice rough. He still hadn't let go of Eggsy's hand, and Eggsy looked pretty smug about it. Roxy glanced at the two of them and hid a snigger.

"Yes sir," the man named Merlin replied, opening his briefcase. He took out a small metal contraption. It had a handle and a trigger with a screen. He fiddled with it for a moment before a blue light flashed.

"Avery, stay still please," he said. She straightened and did as he asked. A moment later, the device blipped loudly. "It's implanted in the base of her skull, just above her spinal cord."

"Are you serious?" She shook her head. "What's especially disturbing is that I have no idea how or when it got there," she added darkly.

Avery gulped and Merlin gave her a sympathetic look. "This is going to hurt," he apologized, taking out a small scalpel. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt a firm hand placed on her shoulder. Avery looked up to find herself staring into the amber eyes of the girl from before.

"Roxanne, but call me Roxy," she murmured, squeezing Avery's shoulder before Merlin cut the blade into her neck. She bit her cheek so hard that she tasted blood, but instead of screaming, she focused her gaze on Eggsy, whose bloody wrist was being wrapped in gauze by Harry. If Eggsy could still grin after getting shot in the wrist, she could manage not screaming.

"There, all gone," Merlin muttered. "Just need to fix it back up. Sorry, this will hurt too." Avery felt the prick of a needle as Merlin stitched the small patch of skin back up.

"Alright, let's get moving," Harry said. "We want to avoid security while we can. Merlin, Lancelot," he said, turning to Roxy. "You know what to do with the surveillance footage." She nodded curtly. Merlin rifled through his briefcase again, pulling out a case of what seemed like ordinary bullets. Roxy loaded them into her pistol and promptly shot out every single security camera in the vicinity.

"There's a virus inside that'll wipe out all the footage in the system from the last two hours," Merlin explained to Avery. "My invention," he added smugly. She nodded, and the group began to make their way out of the nearest exit.

The moment they stepped outside, they froze.

They halted as they took in the line of trenchcoats waiting for them.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, how many _are _there?" Eggsy asked in exasperation. He pulled out a lighter from his pocket with his good hand and chucked it at the trenchcoats.

Heat enveloped Avery as the grenade exploded. Once the debris and dust cleared, she grinned at Eggsy.

"That is _sick._"

* * *

AN: Thank you for all the support.

**-agent galahad**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

* * *

"Get Eggsy to Medical," Harry ordered into his com as he careened onto a street with a sign that read Savile Road. Harry braked in front of a shop with _Kingsman _emblazoned on the window. Three mannequins sporting expensive looking suits were displayed in the window. It was a posh looking tailor shop. Avery briefly wondered why they had stopped here, but she didn't question it. Avery unbuckled her seatbelt, opening the door for Eggsy, who was clutching his wrist, applying pressure.

"Usually the gentleman opens the door, but thank you," Eggsy teased, smiling through his obvious pain.

"Oh, Eggsy," Avery sighed, guiding him onto the sidewalk. She discreetly slid her arm into his, linking them together. She placed a hand over the wound, attempting to cover it. He raised an eyebrow. "Don't want anyone noticing, right?" she explained quietly. Eggsy tilted his head, looking into her eyes, before nodding in understanding. She felt a flush creeping up her neck when she felt Harry's intense gaze on her back. He was still sitting in the car, observing them in the rearview mirror.

After the man named Merlin stepped out of his car, Roxy pulled it into drive and sped away. On the ride to the shop, Eggsy had told Avery that Roxy was headed off for a mission in the Middle East- she had Avery's tracker in her front pocket. Roxy had suggested that they drop the tracker in the middle of the enemy base and see what would happen, just for fun.

She felt a bit out of place beside Eggsy, in his bespoke suit, especially in her strappy sandals and casual outfit- even though her taste in fashion was top-notch. She was still wearing the clothes she had on from home- dark-wash denim shorts, a ruffled tank top and various other accessories. Originally, Eggsy suggested she change into something else when they reached London, but, well, due to circumstances, that obviously hadn't been possible.

"Ah, here to try on your new suit, sir?" the shopkeeper asked as Avery pushed the door open. She kept her expression neutral and waited for Eggsy to answer. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted her surroundings. There was one other man inside the shop, inspecting a stack of fabrics on the left wall. Something about him made her slightly uneasy, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"Yes, thank you," Eggsy replied casually, strolling towards one of the dressing rooms. Avery turned around as she heard the door open again. Merlin strutted in, clucking like a mother hen.

"In you go, then. We've a meeting downtown in a half hour. Chop, chop!" Merlin said as he shoved the two of them into the room hurriedly and slammed the door shut. He turned the lock three times in quick succession. Avery watched in amazement as metal plating encased the room, giving it a silvery sheen.

"We have soundproof reinforcements now," Eggsy murmured between clenched teeth. He winced from the pain.

"Get on with it, Eggsy," Merlin added, concern flashing briefly in his green eyes.

"Right. Well, Avery, as I'm sure you've realized by now, I'm not a tailor."

She gave him a look like _well, no shit._

"To be blunt, I'm actually a spy of a top secret intelligence organization." He waited for Avery's reaction.

"How eloquently put, Eggsy," Merlin said dryly.

"Well, that was something along the lines of what I thought," she admitted with a shrug. Eggsy smiled. Even Merlin looked amused. He turned to Avery, expression turning serious. "Avery, look in the mirror. What do you see?"

"Merlin," Eggsy groaned. "That little speech takes too long." Merlin ignored him.

"What do you see?" he asked again, prompting her.

"Eggsy in a lot of pain," she answered truthfully.

"Alright, Christ, I'm getting to that," he said, rolling his eyes. "He's been through worse, trust me. He's just looking for pity points, I assure you." Eggsy let out an incredulous cry. "I mean _you,_ Avery, in your honest opinion." She chewed her lip, thinking. She gazed at her reflection, at the tall-ish figure with dark brown hair, curling below her shoulders. She stared into the clear blue eyes, eyes that came from the father she had lost so many years ago.

"Someone who wants to start again. Someone who's wasted half her life on things and people who she doesn't give a shit about," she responded bitterly.

"I don't see someone who's wasted any of her life at all, actually," Eggsy pointed out. "I see someone who's grown stronger from the pain, from the grief. I see an intelligent, brave young woman who values both courage and loyalty. A young woman with a hella lot of potential."

"Again, so eloquently put, Eggsy," Merlin cut in. Eggsy gave him his worst stink-eye.

"And most of all, someone who wants a second chance, a chance to do something good with her life." Eggsy smiled at her. "Have you seen the film _Trading Places?"_

"No," she answered, shaking her head.

"_Nikita?_"

She shook her head again.

"Pretty Wo- you know what, forget about it." Merlin stifled a laugh. "My point is, if you can adapt and learn, you can transform."

"Ah, like in _Captain America!" _

"Erm… well, I s'pose. Minus the steroids and stuff, though."

"Steroids!" Avery cried indignantly. "Pah. It was just a serum that amplified character traits."

"And automatically made the guy buff as hell," Eggsy responded dryly.

"I take it you're not a Cap fan, then," Avery retorted, sticking her nose in the air, obviously appalled.

"Ironman," Eggsy replied, grinning.

"Ironman all the way," Merlin agreed.

"Hmph."

"The point is, Avery," Merlin started, crossing his arms. "The lack of compassion and humanity in your life with your stepfather didn't crush you, like one would expect. Instead it made you stronger. It made you who you are as a person. Quite like Steve Rogers, I think." Avery grinned at the reference. "Only in this case, we're offering you the opportunity to become a Kingsman Agent. The opportunity to start again, to unleash your potential."

"Interested?" Eggsy asked.

Avery didn't even hesitate.

"Got nothing to lose, do I?"

Merlin nodded firmly, and Eggsy raised his arm. He pressed his palm to the dressing room mirror, and there was a little beep as a biometric scanner swept across his handprint. There was a click and suddenly the entire room shifted. Avery watched in utter astonishment as the room began to move downwards, almost like an elevator, descending further into the ground.

The adventure had begun.

* * *

AN: Marvel reference in honour of the release of _Age of Ultron._

**-agentgalahad**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

* * *

"Since 1849, Kingsman Tailors have clothed the world's most powerful individuals. By 1919 a great number of them had lost their heirs to World War 1. That meant a lot of money… going uninherited. And a lot of powerful men with the desire to preserve peace and protect life. Our founders realized that they could channel that wealth and influence to the greater good. And so began our other venture. Independent, international intelligence agency operating at the highest level of discretion. Without the politics and bureaucracy that undermine government-run, spy organizations."

"So _is_ this an elevator?" Avery interrupted, barely hearing a word that had come out of Merlin's mouth. He scowled and Avery shot him an apologetic look. "How deep does it go?"

"Deep enough," Eggsy answered cheerfully, smirking at Merlin's expression.

With a thud, the elevator halted, revealing an open space similar to a underground train station with tracks at the end of it. A sort of high-tech subway car waited for them, doors open.

"This is like a sci-fi movie," Avery remarked. She turned to Eggsy. "Do we get to fight aliens with bazookas and stuff?" Eggsy gave her a strange, strange look.

"Nah," he replied, amused. Merlin snorted in the background. She followed them into the vehicle, seating herself across from them. The doors slid shut, and with a jolt, the subway car shot off at what felt like a gazillion miles an hour. To Avery, anyways. The fastest she ever went at home was on her bike.

"How fast does this thing go?" she asked in amazement.

"Three-hundred and fifty kilometers per hour," Merlin answered proudly.

"Kilometers? Who uses kilometers?" she asked crossly.

"The rest of the world."

"Bullshit. What about Canada?"

"Kilometers."

"Erm… China? Korea?"

"Kilometers."

"Damnit." She bit her lip. "What's three hundred and fifty kilometers in miles?"

"If you're going to be staying here," Merlin said. "You'll have to get used to it. Three hundred and fifty kilometers in miles is three hundred and fifty kilometers," he finished smugly. It was Avery's turn to scowl. She looked to Eggsy for help. He shrugged, eyes twinkling. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, riding the rest of the way in silence. She turned to the window, watching the car speed through the tunnel. She got dizzy after a while and closed her eyes.

The car squealed to a halt and the three of them stepped out into a sort of central area, overlooking an enormous hangar. Avery pressed her face to the glass, gaping at the various jets and vehicles.

"Not bad, hm?" Merlin asked.

"Not bad…" she agreed wondrously.

"Sorry to interrupt your sight-seeing," Eggsy cut in. "But the bandages are getting bled through, and I think I might pass out soon."

"Don't be such a drama queen," Merlin called over his shoulder, already heading towards the infirmary. Eggsy rolled his eyes, flashing Avery a grin.

Once they had Eggsy all settled on the hospital bed, Avery took a moment to check out all the medical tech. It was incredibly advanced. She wasn't fantastic with tech, but took great interest in it, and enjoyed hacking into her stepfather's email accounts and spamming his stupid friends with rubbish. She trailed a finger down one of the machines.

A sudden alarm pierced the air and Avery gave a loud yell, clapping her hands over her ears. Eggsy winced, and Merlin came jogging into the room, swiping a finger across the surface of the machine. The alarm shut off.

"What the hell was that?" she exclaimed.

"White noise. After V-Day, I took an enormous liking to biometric security," Merlin explained. "Anyone who hasn't been registered into my system will set off an alarm if they touch any tech. I'll have to get you registered if you plan on sticking around."

"Yeah, about that…" Eggsy interrupted. Merlin raised an eyebrow. Eggsy took a deep breath. "Our original, erm, plan was to get Avery settled in, right?"

"Mmhmm…?" Merlin mumbled suspiciously, eyeing Eggsy.

"Well, I think it would be a fantastic idea to recruit her," he let out in a rush. Avery's eyes widened in surprise. She tingled with praise. "After all, I know for a fact that she's extremely loyal and knows how to keep her mouth shut, yeah? With her stepdad trying to beat the shit out of her and all- sorry, Avery, and also she totally knows how to fight, right? She's super intelligent and also athletically fit, can adapt quickly-" Avery was blushing furiously by now from Eggsy's praise.

"Galahad," Merlin interrupted, slightly overwhelmed. "You know that's not my decision to make."

"Merlin! Come _on. _Avery _obviously _has what it takes to be a Kingsman."

"It's not my decision to make," Merlin repeated, gentle but firm. "It's-"

"Mine," Harry interjected, striding into the room.

"Harry, there you are," Eggsy began again. "We need to recruit Avery. She's intelligent, smart, loyal, brave-" he said, launching into his speech all over again. Avery's blush, which had previously started to fade, arose once more.

"Galahad, please," Harry cut off, holding a hand up to stop the flow of words pouring out of Eggsy's mouth. Eggsy clamped it shut.

Harry took a deep breath.

"Avery, you have proved yourself to be extremely courageous, clever, and perceptive."

Eggsy grinned.

"However-"

"What? No, you can't-" Eggsy burst out, outraged.

"Galahad," Harry cut off again, sharply. Eggsy froze. "Enough is enough. A gentleman does not need to be asked twice, much less thrice." Eggsy sighed, defeated, sinking into the infirmary pillows.

Harry turned back to Avery.

"However," he continued. "We currently have no open official positions to offer you." It was silent for a moment. "Nevertheless," he added somewhat approvingly. "You are obviously a very valuable individual with a high aptitude of success, both in the mental and physical side of things. Earlier, when we were fighting together, although you were the lesser target, you still held against your own and showed an enormous amount of bravery. Furthermore, we have observed your actions in numerous situations, and I can conclude with comfortable ease that you are someone we can trust and allow into our ranks. I have already discussed the matter with the majority of the other Kingsman agents and we have all reached a similar verdict."

Eggsy let out a little whoop, silencing when Harry shot him a piercing glare that screamed _I'll deal with you later, young man._

"So," Harry continued, "I am extremely pleased to offer you the position of an Honorary Kingsman agent, under the codename of Caradoc until we can arrange further testing. Welcome to Kingsman, Avery."

* * *

**-agent galahad**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

* * *

When, later that night, an ominous knock woke Tony from his sleep, he groaned. There were keyboard indent welt marks on his face from where he had face-planted his cheek on it while dozing.

The knock sounded again, echoing through the silence.

A feeling of dread passed over him as he pulled open the drapes to reveal a single lone black SUV in front of his house.

He rushed downstairs, taking the stairs two at a time and nearly falling on his face. His hand shot out to open the door, twisting the lock open and sliding the deadbolt out of the way. He flung the door open, revealing two men, who waited patiently.

"Domenico, Nico, come in," he exclaimed breathlessly, pasting a smile on his face. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"Ah, Tony," Domenico addressed him with false friendliness. "We just wanted to have a quick word with you, yes?"

Tony was ready to piss himself. If Domenico had decided to fly all the way from his little hideout just to visit Tony… well, things certainly did not look pretty.

"Yes, of course," he replied, voice cracking. He led them into the house, Nico closing the door behind him. He smiled at Tony as he locked the door, sliding the deadbolt back into place.

"Nice," Domenico remarked at the framed art hanging in the hallway. "If I remember correctly, some stolen masterpieces from the Louvre?" Tony nodded, beads of sweat running down his neck. "Ah, those were the days. Petty crime, nowadays, yes?" he said with a laugh.

"So…" Tony began nervously, as the three men took a seat in the living room. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, gentlemen?"

"Getting straight to business, as usual, Tony. I like that." Domenico leaned back into the leather sofa, waving a hand. "We just had a few questions for you."

"Ask away."

"First. Do you have any idea who the boy your stepdaughter was with?"

"No. Never seen 'im before in my life. I'll give you a description if you'd like."

"That would be lovely," Domenico said. "Nico, take it down, will you?"

Nico took notes as Tony described the blond boy.

"Next, and most important." Domenico leaned forward, putting his face close to Tony's. Tony nearly choked with fear. "Why is your stepdaughter so important to you?"

His heart nearly stopped.

"What?" he asked, feigning confusion.

"Considering how abusive you are to her, I find it awfully strange that you went through so much trouble to reclaim her, yes? Pulling out all those favours I owe you. Sticking a tracker in her pretty little head."

"She works for me at the store," he said lamely. Nico picked up a novel off the coffee table, flipping through it interestedly. He tucked it into his suitcase a moment later, making an amused face at Tony.

"Tony, Tony…" Domenico crooned, pulling out one of the many curved blades out of the inside of his suit jacket. Nico was suddenly at his side, pinning him down. "We need to be honest, here, yes?"

"Yes, yes…" he whispered hoarsely. A warmth spread through his pants. Great, he was so scared that he had actually pissed himself.

"C'mon, Tony, tell us," Domenico sang, pressing the tip of the blade into his neck.

"Her blood!" he gasped finally. "She has her father's blood."

"Who's the father?" Nico asked.

"Royal… royal blood," Tony cried.

"Who's the father?" Domenico repeated, interested.

"The older sister was illegitimate…" he gulped.

"The dead one?" Nico asked. Tony nodded.

"Who's the father?" Domenico asked again, growing impatient. He pressed the knife harder, drawing ruby drops of blood.

"Some king of some small insignificant country. But the wealth of the king is so enormous that it parallels that of Italy itself… and the girl's the heiress. The family's kept it hidden for centuries," Tony gasped.

"But you mentioned that the father and older sister taught her to fight, no? And her surname is her mother's, yes? Holloway." Domenico pursed his lips, deep in thought.

"It's complicated, really complicated," Tony whispered. "The father sent her away to live with another family, to keep her existence under wraps. She lived with the family, never knew the difference."

"Ah, and that's where you come in. I suppose you planned to somehow acquire the wealth by announcing yourself as your guardian or such."

"Yes…"

"Hah! This is quite hilarious. She's a princess!" Domenico exclaimed, laughing. His face suddenly turned very dark and serious. "Thank you, Tony. But some very unfortunate things happened to my ranks while they were chasing your 'stepdaughter'. At least thirty casualties. That's far too many for me to let pass." Domenico began pulling out other knives.

"Please…" he begged. Domenico paused, giving him a rather pitying look.

"Alright, fine, I'm a nice guy. Nico, shoot him."

Nico didn't even blink.

The two men left the house later that night, getting into the dark SUV parked in front of the house, driving off with a squeal of tires.

* * *

AN: Thank you everyone for all the support. Apologies for the short chapter. It was originally supposed to be 2,000 words or so, but the ending was a bit awkward so I decided to cut it.

A few things- first, I've had a few requests for either faster updates and/or longer chapters. I'm afraid I can't manage to do both, so as readers, what would you prefer? **Longer chapters or faster updates?**

And also, I would like to give a special thank you to iPage, who has constantly reviewed. Cheers, mate.

I'm absolutely astounded by the response to this story, and it has been a huge motivation and confidence boost for my writing. I decided to skip all my homework this weekend to write, so I got another 6,000 words of the story in. But it will require some further editing, so please be patient. Again, thank you to all the readers!

**-agent galahad**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

* * *

"Right, then," Harry said, standing next to Eggsy's hospital bed once everyone else had disappeared. "May I sit?" he asked.

"Of course," he replied, slightly nervous as to what Harry wanted to say to him. He was going to get lectured real good probably.

"Thank you."

"Why do I have to stay in this fucking bed, again? I got shot in the wrist, not my chest," Eggsy complained.

"Too bad. Your abilities have been compromised. Upon my direct orders, you are to stay in bed until further notice," Harry said with a smirk.

"Hmph," Eggsy muttered, but he cracked a smile.

They sat in tense silence.

"What did you want to-"

"I just wanted to say-" they started at the same time. Eggsy bit his lip, trying to hold back a grin at the befuddled expression on Harry's face. It was admittedly adorable, with his warm chocolate eyes big and docile looking.

"It's fine, you go-"

"No, you go first-"

Eggsy facepalmed, shoulders shaking with laughter. A moment later, Harry's expression broke into a wide smile, eyes sparkling.

"I can never stay mad at you for long, Eggsy," he sighed.

"Sorry, bruv." Eggsy smiled and met Harry's gaze. "So, what was it you wanted to ask?"

"Erm…" Harry trailed off, dropping Eggsy's stare. "It's not important. Quite childish, actually."

"C'mon bruv, you have to say it now. Can't leave me hangin', 'n all that, yeah?" Eggsy coaxed, observing Harry's suddenly pink complexion.

Oh my god. Was Harry Hart blushing?

"You're blushing!" Eggsy exclaimed.

"I most certainly am not," Harry retorted, turning his face away as his face flushed even darker.

"You are! Holy shit! Camera! Who has a camera?" he cried desperately. Harry shook his head, unbelieving. "Oh, c'mon, Harry, you know I'm just teasin'."

"Right," he responded, eyebrow raised.

"So… tell me what's on your mind," Eggsy began again softly, taking Harry's hand. Harry nearly fell off the bed from the way he jumped when Eggsy touched him, as if electrocuted. "Woah, woah, sorry."

"No, it's fine. Sorry," Harry replied, avoiding Eggsy's gaze. "I'm making a big deal out of something small. Just… be honest with me, alright, Eggsy?"

"Always am, Harry."

"Are you and Avery…" Harry trailed off, making vague hand motions. "What is it you young people say… a thing?"

Eggsy blinked, completely astonished.

"W-what?" he stammered, turning beet red.

"Be honest, Eggsy," Harry pleaded.

"I… I… what?" Eggsy exclaimed, completely bewildered. "Where the heck did that come from?"

"It's just…" Harry stumbled over his words. Eggsy couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I noticed you two are… awfully close and such, but nevermind, forget I asked." Harry stood up to leave, dropping Eggsy's hand, which had been enfolded in his.

"Harry, wait-"

"No, Eggsy. I apologize for making you uncomfortable with my silly questions. Get some rest, and feel better soon." Harry strode away, a bit faster than normal, glancing at Eggsy once more before closing the infirmary door behind him.

"What, in the name of all that is good and great," Eggsy muttered to himself, "was that all about?"

"Ohhh…" Avery waltzed in, sighing romantically. She had her hands clasped to her chest, over her heart. She placed a hand on her forehead, fainting dramatically beside Eggsy with a large whump as she collapsed onto the mattress. "That was so lovely…"

"For the love of… for fuck's sake, will you please tell me what you're going on about?" Eggsy exclaimed.

"And he was blushing, and then you were holding hands, and you were staring into each other's eyes and oohhhhh…" she cried, a pained expression on her face. "It was beautiful."

"Avery! Get to the point!" Eggsy yelled, blushing furiously.

"Right, sorry. You two are perfect for each other, the end."

Eggsy just stared at her.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"What in the world are you on about?"

"Oops, I'm supposed to meet Merlin…" she glanced at the clock on the wall. "Five minutes ago. Ta," she called over her shoulder, already adopting the British slang.

"Avery!" Eggsy yelled. "Get back here this instant!"

But she was already gone.

Eggsy sighed, slumping into the pillows and closed his eyes.

He could still feel Harry's hand enveloped over his.

* * *

"Excuse me, is they done in there?" the man standing in the far corner of the room asked, accent seemingly unfitting for his demeanor. He wore an ill-fitted suit, albeit stylish.

"Pardon me, sir?" Alfred asked, glancing up from the measurements laid out on the counter in front of him. The shop was otherwise empty.

"I said, is they done in there? Those three people," he repeated, stroking one of the many bolts of fabric on the shelf.

"They left a while ago, sir," Alfred answered, refusing to give anything away.

"No, they didn't," the man replied. "I've been watching 'em."

"I'm sorry sir, but they left quite a while ago. If you're done examining the fabrics, we can begin with your fitting, if that's what you wish."

"No, no fitting…" the man muttered, walking towards Alfred. Alfred's right hand found his left wrist, discreetly calibrating his wristwatch setting to _AMNESIA. _

"Sorry, sir?" he asked again innocently?

"Tell me where they went," the man suddenly hissed, launching himself at the ex-Kingsman.

Alfred wrestled him off a moment later, firing the dart into the man's neck. He slumped over Alfred's shoulder and he let him down carefully, carrying him easily over to one of the benches in the shop.

As he was doing so, he heard the door open. Four men in dark shades and trenchcoats walked in.

"Ah, welcome in, gentlemen. This poor chap needs some more sleep, I thi-"

Alfred cut off mid-sentence when one of the men pointed a gun at him. He backed away, pretending to stumble. He put on a terrified expression, which wasn't overly difficult. He was outnumbered, after all. And it had been years since he had resigned, taking over the shop instead.

"What in the world… gentlemen, please, I'm just a tailor," he exclaimed, hands in the air.

"Where's the girl?" one man asked, voice deep.

"What…" It took Alfred a moment to remember the girl who had walked in with Eggsy earlier that day. "Girl?" Alfred shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then get out of the way," another man said, stomping forward and shoving the tailor to the side. The four of them walked towards the first dressing room, the one that would take them to Kingsman mansion.

"Search the room," the man with the deep voice said, opening the door. Just as they had their backs turned, Alfred pulled out the pistol he usually kept in the cash register out, firing five times in rapid succession. He had pocketed the gun after seeing the first man simply loiter in the shop for an entire afternoon, examining every inch of it.

Two men hit the floor, instantly dead. The other two leaped at Alfred, disarming him after a violent scuffle. Alfred managed to knock out one of them, when suddenly the remaining trenchcoat pulled out a strange silver object and threw it at Alfred. He tried to catch it but immediately regretted it.

An uncomfortable tingling sensation worked its way up from his right palm and fingers to his elbows, where it continued quickly to his shoulders. He found, with a considerable amount of panic, that he was completely paralyzed where he felt the tingling. Less than a minute later, he was almost completely frozen stiff, standing like a statue in the middle of the room. He couldn't even blink, much less reach one of the emergency switches that would alert the Kingsman agents that the service had been jeopardized, the secrecy compromised. But he had to try. He actually got extremely close... until the trenchcoat shot his left arm.

"Have fun, old man," the trenchcoat called from his position inside Dressing Room One. There was a bang and the squeal of skin against the mirror as the man tried to figure out how to operate the elevator.

If Alfred had the capabilities, he would have sighed in relief. The man wouldn't be able to get through the biometric system.

But then terror seized Alfred as there was a high pitched beeping and the man came bolting out of the room, shooting Alfred a good-natured grin.

The grenade exploded a moment later, creating a massive hole, and revealing the seemingly endless pit into the darkness. The man disappeared into the hole. Alfred hoped he had jumped and would snap his neck upon impact. Unlikely.

_Well, at least they hadn't gotten into Dressing Room Three_, he couldn't help but think grimly.

* * *

**Realized an entire 100-word chunk went MIA thanks to otakuzen, from when Eggsy and Harry were having a certain chat. Previously, Avery just bam appeared out of nowhere, but that was a mistake on my part that had been deleted and was recovered. Thank you. **

**-agent galahad**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

* * *

A shrieking alarm pierced the silence of the infirmary, wailing shrilly.

Eggsy shot up from where he was lying on the bed, waking with a start.

There were several loud yells as Eggsy struggled to climb out of the bed. He blinked his eyes blearily, rubbing the sleep out of them with his uninjured hand.

"...the fuck?" Eggsy muttered, leaping off the bed. His gaze landed on his suit, which was hung up on the wall by the door. He jogged towards it, slipping out of the cotton pajamas Harry had left for him earlier and into his bespoke suit.

Just as he managed to slide the jacket over his wrist, leaving the other sleeve hanging, the door burst open and a very frantic looking Avery nearly crashed into him. At her heels was an even more frantic looking Harry, with his gun drawn and pointed.

"Thank God!" she exclaimed, rushing to help him put the jacket fully on.

"The fuck is goin' on?" he asked.

"Someone broke into HQ," Harry replied grimly. Eggsy gaped. "Avery will stay with you here," he continued.

"What?" Eggsy exclaimed. "What about me? I can fight, I feel fine!"

Harry just gave him a withering glare.

"You stay here," he insisted dangerously. When Eggsy didn't respond, Harry strode forward and grasped his shoulders. "Do you understand?" he asked, searching Eggsy's green eyes.

Eggsy finally nodded reluctantly.

"Lock the door and let nobody in no matter what until you hear my knock." With that, Harry turned on his heel and bolted out of the wing.

Avery guided Eggsy back to the bed after locking the door, where the two sat cross-legged for a good half hour before the alarm shut off.

It turned out that someone had blown a hole with a grenade in Dressing Room One, back at the tailors. The bloke had climbed down the hole, took the tube to HQ and immediately tried to mess with the equipment in the central area. Thanks to Merlin's biometric fetish, that horrible alarm was triggered.

They found Alfred, along with four other unconscious and dead people inside the tailor shop. Alfred was completely paralyzed. They also found a peculiar device in Alfred's hand. Merlin scanned the strange magnetic signature of the device, and brought it back to HQ for further examination. Alfred had now taken Eggsy's place on the infirmary bed and was slowly beginning to show signs of... well, thawing out.

As for the bloke who broke in... well, Harry didn't have any qualms about dealing with him. Rather than killing him, Harry had locked him in the interrogation chamber for further investigation. The interrogation occurred the next day.

It was, to say in the least, not very pleasant.

"The only good news is that the man was foolish enough to break in without contacting any back up. He admitted he wanted to take all the credit for himself. So, as for now, we're marginally safe." Harry took a sip of tea, sighing. "The other four men in the store, the three trenchcoats and the other one who Alfred shot with an amnesia dart- it turns out that they had been following the first man- bitter rivals or something like that. They'd been snooping around the store for a while, but had only intervened when the first man took action and attacked Alfred."

"How did he know where the base was?" Eggsy asked, still rather dubious about the whole thing.

"I'm sure he had his suspicions," Harry replied uneasily. "But Merlin's upgrading the security system as best as he can, and until then, the entrance through the shop is completely off-limits, understand?" Harry asked. "As well, the weaponry in Dressing Room Three will be moved, as a safety precaution."

Avery and Eggsy nodded.

"How're we gonna get here, then?" Eggsy questioned.

"There are other entrances we haven't used very often scattered around London. Ironically, one of them is near the Black Prince, but I don't think we'll be using that one," Harry remarked.

"So what are we goin' to do now?" Eggsy asked, looking lost.

"Well, in the next few days, I'll take you two around each entrance, but in the meantime... I think it's time for Avery's first mission."

* * *

"We've recently received intel that there's a certain individual, by the name of Claudia Evelynn Lucinda Marison, who is suspected of being involved with the inner circle of the Mafia," Merlin explained grimly, flicking through various profile photos of the beautiful woman for Eggsy and Avery to see. She had high cheekbones and a well-defined nose, with dark brown, almost black eyes, and full red lips. In the photo, her auburn hair was done up in an elegant twist, fastened and decorated with rivers of milky white pearls. Two large diamond earrings hung from her earlobes, and she held a delicate lacy fan with a slender hand. Everything about her screamed refined and sophisticated. She looked to be about in her mid-thirties.

"She has… erm, what should we call it? A fancy 18th-century type thing fetish. Her estate is enormous, and is complete with an almost equally enormous ballroom. She holds a huge gala every Solstice, including the Winter Solstice, which is exactly four months and eleven days from now. December twenty-first. You two will be attending," he said with a nod.

"That's a huge amount of time from now," Eggsy remarked. Usually they were notified of a mission a week or two in advance, sometimes even only a few days.

"It is. But remember, Galahad. Our new agent Caradoc needs a good deal of training before she's ready to go out into the field," Merlin responded. Eggsy nodded.

"What sort of training?" Avery inquired suspiciously, petting JB. The pug sat contentedly in her lap- he had been delivered from the airport to HQ directly, as to avoid issues with the airport security and the extra paperwork needed.

"Everything from deception to hacking to seduction," Merlin replied. "And how to make things explode," he added with boyish delight glinting behind his specs.

"Merlin has a thing for makin' things go kaboom," Eggsy explained, utterly straight-faced. Avery decided not to comment.

"Multi-millionaire Miss Marison was also kidnapped by Valentine last year, as she was against his plans," Merlin continued, unfazed. "Galahad is right. We very rarely start prep for a mission this early on, but we noticed something peculiar with this year's gala, and in light of the recent Mafia, erm, dealings, we've decided to dispatch the two of you, as well as Arthur."

Eggsy gaped.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why not?" Merlin asked.

"Because… because…"

"Thank you, Galahad, for your concerns," Harry suddenly spoke, entering the room. It seemed he had a knack for appearing on cue. "But I am perfectly capable of keeping myself alive out in the field."

"You haven't been out on a field mission for almost two years! And suddenly you're going out all the time!" he exclaimed accusingly. "Aren't you supposed to just stay here and file papers 'n stuff?" Eggsy countered crossly. He looked about to chain Harry to his office desk just so he wouldn't be able to leave.

"Why yes. But due to the fact that December tends to be an extremely busy part of the year for agents, and the fact that Miss Marison and I have already made acquaintance before, it is perfectly appropriate for me to be joining you."

"Fine," Eggsy steamed. "Just don't get shot again."

"I'll do my very best," Harry replied with a dry smile.

"Ahem," Avery interrupted, clearing her throat.

"Right," Merlin continued. "Anyways, take a look at this." He brought up a photo of a very ornately decorated invitation in flowing cursive. "To be able to attend the Annual Winter Solstice Ball, you either have to buy your way in or be invited specially. Anyone with the money can attend. Generally, the cost of attending is around twenty-five thousand dollars per person."

Eggsy let out a low whistle.

"But this year, the cost suddenly inflated by another zero. The cost of a single ticket is now twenty-five hundred thousand dollars. This is concerning for a few reasons- first and foremost, the cost did not go up until the very day Eggsy blew up an entire sector of Mafia." Eggsy grinned proudly. "It can't possibly be just a coincidence. Secondly, Mafia members have been rumored to often attend this ball, by invitation. The only foreseeable reason Marison would raise the price so drastically would be to discourage outsiders from attending… which leaves more space for her to invite other people."

"So you're worried about her turning this year's ball into a Mafia convention," Eggsy concluded.

"Exactly, Galahad. But we won't weigh you down with the details of the mission just yet. We want to have Avery get a taste of our training practices first, and if she's still up for it in three months, we'll talk more about the details." Merlin shut off the display with a click. "Dismissed."

"Alright, then, Caradoc," Harry began, addressing the girl. "Are you ready for your first lesson?"

* * *

**-agent galahad**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

* * *

"Ohh…" Avery groaned, gasping for breath as she nearly fell off the treadmill. She flopped onto the mat with her arms and legs splayed out. "I can't feel my legs. They're throbbing and…" She lifted her head, glancing at her calves. "All blue and webby," she continued, noticing all the veins.

"Yeah, that happens when you run for a really long time," Eggsy replied, making a mental note to get Avery to sprint every day from now on for at least a half hour. If he were being completely honest, her endurance was a tad bit pathetic.

"Was I okay?" she moaned, still panting.

"Er… yeah, I guess," he lied. He threw her a water bottle and she drank from it greedily.

"Are we done yet?"

"Caradoc," he answered sternly. "We've barely started."

Eggsy hid a grin as she swore colourfully.

* * *

"Well, this is certainly more fun than running on a treadmill for an hour," Avery noted, daintily picking up a fancy looking spoon and examining it.

"This is a typical table setting," Harry said. Eggsy sat sullenly across from Avery, on Harry's left, who sat at the head of the table.

"I can never remember this crap," Eggsy muttered.

"A basic rule, as I've told Eggsy multiple times," Harry continued, shooting Eggsy a withering glare, which the young man ignored, choosing instead to sigh dramatically, "is to work your way in with the utensils. For example, if you are served a soup, use the spoon on your far left. For a salad, use the fork on the edge."

"Can we just eat now?" Eggsy whined. Avery had to agree. She hadn't eaten for hours, and the food laid out before them smelled so good that she barely managed to keep from drooling.

"You should not eat until the host either indicates that you may begin eating or begins eating him or herself." Harry picked a loaf of bread off the table. "Break bread and rolls with your fingers, not your knife, and only a small portion, unless you are dipping it in sauce or gravy, in which you always use a fork." The second Harry's fingers touched the loaf, Eggsy leaped forward, piling his plate high with food. Avery bit back a giggle when Harry very visibly rolled his eyes.

"Hey," Eggsy said defensively. "I can be posh 'n proper when I feel like it, okay?"

"Fair enough," Harry said with a shrug, eyes glinting with amusement. "As I was saying…" He stopped suddenly when the sounds of Eggsy stuffing himself evaded the calm silence.

"What?" he exclaimed. "I'm hungry, okay?"

Avery burst out laughing at Harry's expression and the absurdity of the situation.

"Oh, Eggsy," Harry sighed. "What am I to do with you?" He turned to Avery, smiling. "He's a lost cause. I pray that you'll prove more polite than this sorry excuse for a gentleman," he remarked. "As I was saying," he continued, narrowing his brown eyes when Eggsy made the point to chew extra loud. "We can observe Eggsy breaking a whopping five rules in one go." Eggsy glared. "First," Harry began, ticking it off on his fingers. "Never chew with your mouth open." Eggsy stuck his tongue out, shoving a piece of roast beef into his mouth, along with a half-smashed piece of potato that he had skewered on top of it. "Next, never mix or mash food on your plate. Third, never put too much food in your mouth," Harry said with a pointed stare at his protégé. "Fourth, never blow on hot foods or drinks." Eggsy made a show of waving a piece of steaming chicken in the air as an alternative. "Or wave hot food around. Or any food, for that matter. And finally, never talk with food in your mouth."

Avery nodded.

Harry continued to coach her as Eggsy kept eating, demonstrating how to fold a large serviette in her lap properly, how to always pass dishes to the right, how to deal with the rather complicated table set up… in addition to the proper etiquette one must demonstrate after one was finished eating, what with the placing the knife and fork in the 'twenty-past-four' position, with the knife on the outside and the fork on the inside… or was it the opposite? God knew. Avery simply tried to absorb it all, mind whirring.

Finally, Harry finished speaking and gave a wry grin in Avery's direction as she blinked rather stupidly, trying to remember everything that he had just said.

"Now we can actually begin eating," Harry said.

"I think I've lost my appetite," she replied, pushing her plate away.

"Caradoc, I do believe I just told you that you aren't to push your plate away," Harry scolded.

"Darnit," she muttered, smacking her face on the table.

Eggsy snorted.

* * *

"You mentioned that you've had a bit of experience with tech?" Merlin asked interestedly, arms folded over his chest. He sat in front of the large wall of adjoined monitors in his office, facing her.

"Yeah. I hacked into my stepdad's email and stuff for fun. Did some coding here and there, but not much," she replied. Merlin nodded thoughtfully. A moment later he handed Avery the tablet in his hands. On it were lines and lines of complicated looking green text.

"Give it a shot. There's exactly one problem with each command. Try to fix as many as you can, and we'll go from there."

"Wha..." she trailed off, glancing from the screen to the Scottish man. And back again. "I don't..." She had meant to say she didn't understand any of it, but with a start, she realized some of it did look familiar.

A half hour later, rubbing her stinging eyes with one hand and thrusting the tablet to Merlin with the other, she slumped into her seat. She'd done as much as she could.

He looked up from where he had been working, taking the tablet. His eyes skimmed over it, no doubt assessing all her mistakes.

He opened his mouth, probably to comment on how goddamn awful it was, before closing it again. Avery waited in tense anticipation, ready to make an excuse about how she hadn't done any real work with code for a solid two years.

But, to her utter astonishment, all he did was give her a rather impressed smile and pat her on the shoulder and say, "Good work," before tapping away at it for a moment and handing it back to her. A new set of code awaited her.

Avery groaned.

* * *

**-agent galahad**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: **

AN: Hehehe… sorry for the wait. This chapter is ergonomically short, but happy new year I'm posting the chapter after in about fifty seconds.

* * *

The following few days passed similarly, with all sorts of lessons and training. She went running with Eggsy every morning, and followed up with an hour at the shooting range, using all sorts of pistols, rifles, shotguns... At first she was shit at it, to say in the least.

"Hold it like this," Eggsy had instructed when he'd handed her her first Glock. "Like in the movies."

She did as told.

"Now, aim. Feet shoulder width apart, Caradoc. Yeah, that's 'bout right." He tilted his head, circling around her and checking her position. "Right then, press the trigger and fire."

She closed her eyes and fired.

"For fuck's sake, why would you close your eyes?" Eggsy exclaimed, shaking his head. He pointed at the target, and she followed his finger, expecting the bullet to at least have hit one of the outer rings. She squinted, looking for the hole, but was unable to find it.

"Where'd it go?" she asked in confusion.

"God knows. I think- oh, wait, there it is."

"Hey! I hit the inner circle!"

"Yeah, of the next target," he added. "You missed by four metres."

"Well..." she trailed off, biting her lip. "That's not that bad, is it?"

"Caradoc, if you had one chance to shoot a terrorist in the perfect position to kill the Queen, and you missed by four metres, you might end up shooting Her Royal Majesty instead."

"Ungh," she groaned, nearly chucking the gun away in disgust and frustration.

"Hey, calm down," he said gently. "You're doing alright, sort of. We'll do this together, like I promised. Now stand like this," he continued, demonstrating himself. She followed his motions, from the way he held the gun to the angle of his body. He paused, stepping forward and putting a hand on her forearm, pushing it down a little. She dropped it, and he shook his head, pulling it up again. He frowned, stepping so close that her back pressed against his chest. She fought a smile. He brought her arm up with his, curling his palm over her hand and aiming the gun properly, adjusting it to the right slightly. He stuck his neck out over her shoulder, peering at the target. She felt her face warm.

"Alright, fire," Eggsy commanded.

The resounding bang echoed around the concrete room, leaving Avery grinning at the perfect hole a quarter inch shy of the bull's-eye.

"Not bad, innit?" Eggsy said with a wink, conking the side of his face into Avery's forehead. Avery laughed.

* * *

**-agent galahad**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

* * *

Harry glanced into the shooting range, jerking back at the sight of ... well, you know. He flushed Quickly and strode away, Trying not to jump to conclusions. Was Eggsy helping Avery. There Was Nothing wrong with that. At all. And it Certainly About did not bother Harry, not one bit.

Was Harry's chest as he left the tight Training Wing of the manor. He headed for Merlin's private office. He barely managed to knock thrice before bursting through the door just as Merlin called "come in."

"Jesus Christ, what happened to you? Sit down, "he exclaimed, standing up from His desk and rushing over to His secret stock of brandy. He pulled out two glasses and started pouring before handing one to Harry, Who Took it gratefully and sat down Heavily.

Just as Merlin brought` the drink to His lips, he wrinkled his nose.

"On second thought, I want Irn-Bru," he muttered, referring to the infamous Scottish Rather carbonated drink. He handed His brandy glass to Harry, Who downed it time immediately. He set it beside l'autre already empty glass.

"That cognac Was shit, Merlin."

"Yes, well, it's not like I'm going to give you Hennessy When All you're going to do is binge it."

"Good," Harry grumbled. Merlin poured some more for _him_. Harry Took a while with the drink this time around, sipping it and letting the bitter taste spread over his tongue and sighing deeply as it Slipped down His throat, leaving a fiery trail and resting pleasantly In His stomach.

"So," Merlin Began, sitting back down with His Irn-Bru, popping the can open with an expression of amused on His Face. Bloody tosser. This Was probably entertaining for _him_. "I have not seen you this emotionally distraught for more than a decade and a half, and last time You Were like this, It was due to Mr. Pickle's death."

Harry About did not answer, and INSTEAD opted to glare at the amber liquid inside His glass.

"It's Eggsy, is not it?" He Abebooks web sites, Noting the fire in Harry's eyes.

"It bloody well is," Harry grumbled.

"What happened?"

"I saw 'em together." This was not a new topic Merlin-to' em 'was referring to Eggsy Obviously and Avery, gold Eggery, as Merlin fondly called Expired it.

"What? Kissing? "

"No! Just ... together. At the shooting range. He Was helping her aim, and you know, They Were pressed together and everything, and, and ... They Were just so perfect together! "Harry moaned.

"You did say He Was loved helping her?" Merlin Abebooks web sites, Narrowed eyes. Harry nodded dejectedly. Merlin Threw His Hands into the air, managing to keep from spilling His drink. "Is this going to be like that time you came here Complaining about the exact same thing Eggsy When Was Roxanne helping do the splits?"

"That's preposterous," Harry huffed. "Obviously Roxanne is infatuated with you."

"That's not what you Said the-back wait a second, what did you just say?"

"I'm not here to deal with your 'issues' with Lancelot. What am I Supposed to do? "

"Tell him how you feel, for fuck's sake."

"That is not an option, and you know it."

"Why?"

"I've Told you a dozen times. Before Caradoc cam, it already Was not a good idea. I'm twice His age, for christ's sake, Merlin. And What Would a fine young man like Eggsy see in someone like me? And Now That Avery's here ... At least, of all people he could've Chosen, it's Avery. She's a lovely young lady. Awfully clever and kind, not to mention very attractive. I hope they 're happy together. "

Merlin sighed.

"Harry," he Began gently. "Are not you being a little melodramatic? You do Realize That They've Known Each Other for exactly four days? "Harry shrugged. "And how long have you Known Eggsy?"

"Two years. That Does not Really-have to do with anything. If they 're this close now, imagine what it'll be like in a month. "

Merlin sighed again.

"Do you remember how you got Eggsy When reacted shot?" Harry hesitated before nodding slowly. "Do you remember how you came When Eggsy reacted back?" Harry, DESPITE himself, snorted and nodded again. Eggsy HAD thrown himself at Harry, screaming like a little girl, and the two HAD gone down, one on top of the other, like a pair of dominoes. "If That Is not Any comfort for how the boy feels about you, Then I do not know what is. And if it makes you feel any better, "Merlin continued, putting a hand on His friend's shoulder," I think it's very damn fine of you to always act in Eggsy's best interests, Even When It Obviously rips you apart, "he finished, gesturing at the now empty bottle of brandy.

There Was an awkward cough at the door.

Harry spun around in His seat, dread filling His stomach.

"Damnit, Galahad!" Merlin yelled. "Ever heard of fucking knocking?"

* * *

**_Ooooooopps…_ **hahaha silly Eggsy.

AN: Thank you all so much for all your support and reviews. I will try and keep my updating a little more consistent for the next little while. Some of you have been asking when my other stories will be updated and I promise you, soon. Hopefully by the end of the week. :) Thank you.

**-agent galahad**


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